Culture

Where to mobilize if you want to see Trump crumble in 2018

Angry? There are more constructive ways to channel your rage than just screaming into the void.

Image: Getty Images

By Heather Dockray and Marcus Gilmer2018-07-05 11:00:00 UTC

In high school, we learned that the founding fathers designed a system of checks and balances to keep a future erratic president from ever abusing their power.

That was cute.

By now, Americans have realized that the Republicans will let Trump get away with anything if he brings them closer to their ultimate fantasy: robbing poor people of their healthcare. If citizens are concerned about indefinite family detention or think stripping meager food stamps from impoverished families is — gulp — bad, there's only two things they can do to fight it: vote, and organize others to vote.

Feel free to wallow in despair, but if you're serious about getting Trump out of office, you're going to have to organize. There are plenty of organizations out there helping to mobilize people for the midterms and beyond. Here are the few of the best on the ground:

Organized shortly after Trump's election, Swing Left is gearing up to help Democrats win races in closely contested districts. Instead of throwing all their energy and dollars on safe races or historically blood red Republican ones, they're playing it smart. Swing Left is currently targeting 78 Congressional districts for 2018, with the goal of winning 23 seats in the House.

Help organize your district, or better yet, find a swing district near you and organize (even remotely) for their campaigns.

The Poor People's campaign was Martin Luther King Jr.'s last campaign of economic justice before he died. Rev. Dr. Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis have since revitalized King's unfinished campaign with a nationwide call to "challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation, and the nation's distorted morality." The campaign will transition to voter registration and mobilization closer to the 2018 midterms.

Woke Vote was one of the leading grassroots groups responsible for Democrat Doug Jones' historic win in Alabama. They did so by connecting to black communities at colleges, universities, and churches, and by addressing issues many black voters care about, including mass incarceration.

"This was a completely independent effort that was focused on the idea of what happens when you resource black people with the goal of turning out black people,” DeJuana Thompson, the group's founder, told The Atlantic. “They really connected with this idea that we had black power, and that black power could be shown through the vote.”

Even if Democrats do turn out to vote in 2018, their voting power will be lessened thanks to repressive racial gerrymandering and voter suppression laws. That's depressing. Let America Vote focuses on protecting voter rights and restoring the right to vote for people who unnecessarily lost it. Though the group zeroes in on states where voting rights are most vulnerable, there are multiple ways to get involved.

Indivisible is one the most powerful grassroots groups to organize post-election. From pressuring Senators to protect ACA or brutally heckling Jason Chaffetz (remember this?), Indivisible has been indomitable over the past two years, especially in red states where they're needed the most. The group recently launched their 50-state political program, designed to engage voters in all 50 states all while targeting 73 elections in 13 key states. They'll be building massive canvassing operations to help get out the word to vote for 2018.

Town Hall Project, not to be confused with ultra-conservative site Townhall, is a collective directly aimed at spurring voters to turn out for town halls, seeing their representatives face-to-face and holding them accountable. The database covers reps from both parties and both chambers of congress (along with a collection of state legislatures), including events like "empty chair" town halls where reps are invited but don't show up. The project's searchable map is also super handy in helping you track what's happening around you.

Town Hall Project has already proven to be useful, playing a pivotal role in getting voters to 2017 town halls that saw constituents bombard their representatives when the Affordable Care Act came under threat from the Trump administration.

To vote, you have to be registered. And young voters are a core bloc that need reaching and encouraging if the current policies are ever going to be changed. Enter HeadCount, which registers young voters at concerts, partnering with artists as different as Jay-Z and Phish. You may also see the group at a wide variety of music fests across the country this summer.

Gerrymandering has been a buzzword over the last few years as the targeted, lopsided redistricting efforts of conservatives has been one of the key ways in which Republicans have managed to get a stranglehold on national and local legislatures and push their agenda. And while the courts are starting to come around on the issue, there's still a long way to go to return voting districts back to more balanced shapes.

Enter the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a new effort spear-headed by Eric Holder, who served as Attorney General under Barack Obama. The NRDC is focused on voting efforts and mobilization to help bring about ballot initiatives that can stand with the group's legal efforts in trying to undo the chopping up of legislative districts that have led to the imbalance.

A progressive organization that partners with groups from across the country that works both at a state and national level, America Votes is focused on ballot access and progressive ballot initiatives. Some of the key work is happening at the state level, something many voters can often overlook while focused on the big picture.

Sure, what your senator is doing is important, but so many decisions that affect you, like automatic voter registration and early voting access, are decided by state legislatures. And that's where America Votes' focus can be a huge asset.

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